Snow plow coupling mechanism



Nov. 12, 1968 E. R. STANDFUSS SNOW PLOW COUPLING MECHANISM Filed Jan.13, 1965 United States Patent Office 3,410,008 Patented Nov. 12, 19683,410,008 SNOW PLOW COUPLING MECHANISM Ernest R. Standfuss, Bucyrns,Ohio, assignor to The Burch Corporation, Crestline, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio Filed Jan. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 425,226 1 Claim. (Cl. 37-42)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to snow plowconnecting means, particularly to means to guide the connecting parts ofa snow plow and a prime mover therefore so that the connecting operationcan be effected by one man and the disconnecting operation likewise witha minimum amount of positioning of the respective units.

This invention relates to snow plow coupling means and particularly tomechanism to quickly couple and uncouple a snow plow or the like to aprime mover.

Heretofore in coupling snow plows or the like to prime movers for use,which is periodic and seasonal as is well known, the usual bolts havebeen resorted to so that the push frame of the snow plow, which isconnected to the moldboard thereof, is bolted in some manner to a hitchunit which extends from the prime mover usually forward thereof and isof heavy enough construction so that the strain and effort isdistributed throughout the chassis of the prime mover, the snow plowbeing raised and lowered by any known instrumentality.

One of the principal advantages in the present construction is the factthat the snow plow unit with its push frame may be readily connected anddisconnected from the hitch unit of the prime mover, without thenecessity for bolting or unbolting anything and in fact the connectionmay be effected automatically so to speak by reason of certain latchmeans which operate when the coupling operation is effective.

The coupling of the snow plow provided with the mechanism hereof, isquickly effected and alignment of the various connectinginstrumentalities is easily undertaken because of the arrangement of thevarious parts, and the uncoupling operation is equally rapidly effectedsince certain latch means are operable by by a remotely controlledhandle and thus permits separation of the two units in a very simpleway.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to pro- Vide couplingmechanism which obviates the necessity for an individual to crawlbetween the various parts and thus risk injury, since the couplingoperation is effected automatically without the necessity for anyinterposition of human element therein or therebetween. The uncouplingoperation is equally simple effected by a remote control so to speak,whereby the person effecting the operation is out of line of anydangerous instrumentalities which might be otherwise present and whichusually are present where the bolting operation is resorted to in commonpractice.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from aconsideration of the specification and disclosed in the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, somewhat fragmentary in nature, showinga typical snow plow with certain instrumentalities eliminated to permitbetter viewing the same, as aligned for connection to a prime mover.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view, likewise fragmentary in nature,showing certain other instrumentalities including the means for liftingthe plow during its nonfunctioning operation.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view, showing in detail the couplingportions of the respective units.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a snow plow unit generally designated 1 isshown as including a moldboard 2 and a push frame 3 extending rearwardlyfrom said moldboard being coupled thereto in any preferred manner sothat the attitude of the moldboard may be changed by instrumentalitiesnot shown but well known.

The push frame 3 includes the parallel rearwardly extending framemembers 4, 5 and 6, at the rearward extremities of which are connectedwhat are called levelling plates 7, these all being identical andpivotally connected as by the bolts 8 to the extremities of the frameparts 4, 5 and 6, these levelling plates being generally pie-shipedsegments with the bolt 8 located near one edge and intermediate therespective ends, the extremities of the pie-shaped segments, havingextending therethrough the cross shaft or coupling shaft 9 which iswelded or otherwise securely fastened to said extremities, the otherends of the plates being provided with a series of openings 10, in whichthe bolts such as 11 are adapted to be emplaced, to provide for verticaladjustment of the shaft 9 for purposes which Will be understood as thisdescription proceeds. The segments or plates 7 are shown in a positionwherein the saft 9 connected thereto is lowermost and as will beapparent by changing the position of the bolts 11, the shaft 9 may beraised and the bolt inserted in another one of the openings 10, theplates pivoting around the bolts 8.

The prime mover is a truck in this instance designated 13 including thehitch frame generally designated 14 including a transversely extendingchannel 1411 which replaces the usual bumper, and from which extendupwardly, a pair of posts 15, which are in turn suitably braced bygussets 16 and having extending therebetween T-shaped member '17.

The posts 15 provided for mounting a power lift arm 20 as indicated inFIGURE 2, which is operated by a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 21,the arm 20 being connected by suitable chains such as 22 to the push[frame 3 previously referred to.

Extending beneath the channel 14a, and in suitable parallel relation,are the hitch unit beams 23, which are fastened to the chassis of thetruck and in a rigid manner so that they will distribute the stressdeveloped in the plowing operation. At the forward end of these members23 there is a transverse plate 24 designated as a mounting plate, towhich is fastened a transversely extending angle member 25 by means of aking bolt 26 located about centrally thereof whereby the member 25 maypivot with respect thereto, certain limiting pins 27 being provided sothat the transverse vertical pivoting movement of the member 25 islimited. The pins 27 may be withdrawn to permit a greater amount ofpivotal action of said member if necessary.

The member 25 is provided with suitable engaging means in the form offork-like parts 28, these being provided in pairs and spaced about asindicated in FIGURE 1. The fork-like parts 28 have slots 29 therein,arranged to gather the shaft 9 as will be apparent from a considerationof FIGURE 3, the parts 28 likewise having their ends out-turned asindicated at 30 in FIGURE 1 so that the levelling plates 7 will beguided between the spaced pairs. These parts 28 function as vertical andhorizontal aligning elements, as the foregoing description clearlyindicates, and provide for the proper seating of the shaft 9 in theslots 29 so the the latch means now to be described are effective. I

The latch means in this instance comprises a transverse latch shaft 32,which extends through the parts 28, and has fastened thereto adjacenteach of the pairs of said parts, a hook 33, which is adapted to movewhen the shaft 32 is rotated. Rotation is effected by a suitable 3operating arm 35 fixed at one end of the shaft and maintained in theposition about as indicated in FIGURE 1, Which is the latching position,by a suitable spring 36.

The hooks 33 are provided with latching portions 37 adapted to engagethe shaft 9 and since the hooks are normally maintained in theirlatching position, when the shaft 9 engages the faces 38 of therespective hooks 33, the hooks will be moved upwardly and automaticallythereafter cause the latch surfaces 37 to engage with the shaft 9 andmaintain the plow unit in its connected relationship to the hitch unitas will be apparent.

In order to disconnect the plow unit, the handle 35 is manipulated so asto raise the hooks 33 out of their engaged position and permit theWithdrawal of the hitch unit as controlled by the manipulation of theprime mover to which the hitch unit is fastened.

The operation of the mechanism is thought to be clearly understood fromthe foregoing, and it is only reiterated that the gathering effect ofthe fork-like parts 28 is such as to cause the alignment of thelevelling plates 7 and shaft 9 connected thereto permitting theautomatic connection with the hitch unit under the latching operation ofthe hooks 33.

The details of the operation of the plow in its actual movements are notset forth since they are well known and the manipulation of the plowinto the raised and lowered position is possible around the shaft 9 as apivot so that the non-plowing position may be assumed where required.

I claim:

1. In snow plow construction of the class described, in

combination, a plow unit comprising a moldboard, a push frame extendingrearwardly therefrom, coupling means at the rear extremity of saidframe, a hitch unit, engaging means extending forwardly therefrom andincluding means for releasably connecting the hitch and plow units, saidengaging means having horizontal and vertical aligning elements andlatch means releasably engaging the coupling means aforesaid, wherebythe plow-unit is quickly detachable from the hitch unit, the couplingmeans comprising vertical plates connected to frame parts, a shaftextending horizontally through said plates and fixed thereto, elementsin the engaging means comprising pairs of spaced fork-like parts toreceive the plates and shaft, latch means including hooks releasablyengaging said shaft, the pairs of fork-like parts being formed withgathering portions whereby to guide the plates therebetween and theshaft into latching position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,119,263 5/1938 Baumgardner280-460 X 2,577,145 12/1951 Nearing et a1.

2,642,294 6/ 1953 Holm.

2,697,289 12/ 1954- Standfuss 37-40 3,150,884 9/1964 Drott 37-42 X3,214,138 10/1965 Jocher et al. 37-42 X 3,250,026 5/1966 Jocher et al.37-42 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

A. E. KOPECKI, Assistant Examiner.

